Metal tank vapor electric device



`Fune '2, 1936. o. KRlNEs METAL TANK VAPOR ELECTRIC DEVICE Filed Aug. '7, 1931 %&% w

W am@ s. vU. .s e wm mm .v o mK .W ASV ma 8 i 7%/ H/ MZ/MW/a, m 5v 5 Patented June 2, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,042,535 METAL TANK VAPOR ELECTRIC' DEVICE Oskar Krines, Berlin, Germany, assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application August 7, 1931, Serial No. 555,828

In Germany August 15, 1930 6 Claims. (Cl. Z50-27.5)

My invention relates to metal tank vapor eleccomprising the anode and related parts, which is tric devices such as the mercury arc rectifier for to be connected to the wall I a tubular metal the transfer of power between alternating and member 2 is rst connected to a tubular interdirect current circuits, particularly to means for naily anged member 3 by means of a tubular l current to the anode of a metal tank rectifier connecting member 6 are then welded to oppofrom .outslde of the evacuated space within the Site ends 0f the Structure formed by the parts 2, container, atubiilar member of metal or ofinsu- 3, and 4, parts 3 and 5 together forming an the like, the sealing materials being mounted at ed to the wail I by welding tube 6 to the wall at a distance from the upper surface of the'con- Suitable Opening fOrmed therein.

y tainei which is determined by the heat conduc- A prOeCting insulator 7 having a Cylindrial i0 tivity and temperature control conditions in a Opening therethrough and forming a SlippOr fOr 20 given installation, This arrangement has the an anode shield or housing 8 is next slid over the disadvantages that comparatively long anode lower end of the tubular element formed by the lead-in insulators are required and that glow connected members 5, 3, 4, 2, and 6. This pro- In accordance with my invention these dincul- 4, the upper end 0f the anode Supporting member 25 ties are avoided by the provision of an arrangeformed by members 3 and 5, and the 10Wer end ment for conducting current to the anode whereof the tubular supporting member formed by by the anode current Conducting and the anode members 2 and 6, and is maintained concentricalarc discharge being located in a space which is this rim and an external flangeIZ formed on 35 i0 the upper Wall of the evacuated container and and the lower edge of the insulator 1. extending downwardly into the space within the In order to insure a good thermal contact container. The anode current conducting means between the anode and the anode supporting comprises a rod mounted centrally of the tubular member, a layer I4 of a granular contact subl member and connected to the anode structure. stance such as iron, graphite or the like is pro- The insulating supporting means for the anode vided between these members. Channels I5 45 shield surrounds the insulator which is mountformed in externally threaded member 5 are proed between the anode and the tubular member, vided to conduct to the tank space any gas or sealing member from damage or destruction by layer |4- ThiS gas 0r Vapor flOWS fIOm Channels the arc or by glow discharge. I5 into the annular channel I 0, which is con- 50 My invention will be better understood from tinued below the lower edge of protecting insuthe following description when considered in conlator 'i and between the inner members 3 and 5 nection with the accompanying drawing and its and the quartz ring I3 and upper portion of u scope will be pointed out in the appended claims. anode II, and thence out through the narrow D Referring to the drawing, the single gure openings I6. Since the quartz ring I3 by reason 55 thereof is a fragmentary sectional View of a vapor of its ground surfaces prevents gas flow into the electric device embodying my invention. anode space I1, all disturbing gases and vapors In the gure, I represents the upper wall of a from the above mentioned source remain outside vapor electric device such as a mercury arc recof this anode space.

0 tier or inverter. In assembling the structure, To supply potentials to the anode II a con- 604 2 ducting member or rod I8 extending outside of the rectifier is mounted centrally of the tubular element formedrby members 5, 3, 4, 2, and 6 and is screwed Vinto the externally threaded member 5 at the central point I9 thereof.

In order to control the temperature of the anode insulating and sealing means 4 the tubular element formed by members 5, 3, 4, 2, and 6 is filled with an insulating liquid 2i) such as oil or tetrachloride and this liquid is maintained at a predetermined temperature by means of a coil 2| which extends into the space formed by this tubular element and through which a heating or cooling medium may be circulated. A cover 22 of insulating material prevents the entrance of impurities into the space within the tubular element.

It will be seen that the space in the interior of the tubular element formed by members 5, 3, 4, 2, and 6 is at substantially atmospheric pressure, since. the insulating member 4 forms a gas tight seal between this space and the highly evacuated anode space il, and since the tubular element is open toatmospheric pressure at its upper end, the member 22 merely serving as a cover for this tubular element.V

By suitably selecting the. temperature of the insulating liquid 2t the temperature at the surface of the insulating and sealing member 4 is so adjusted that no condensed mercury will collect on this insulator. Therefore, the insulator may be surrounded by a protecting insulator or a metal tube placed at such a short distance therefrom that all discharge phenomena between these members are prevented, without at the same time the occurrence oi short circuits in the narrow space between the members due to condensation of mercury vapor.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent oi the United States, is:

1. In a vapor electric device, an evacuated metal container, an anode, an anode shield, an anode insulator connected in vacuum tight relation to said anode, an anode lead connected to said anode, means including a metallic member connected in vacuum tight relation at opposite ends thereof to said metal container and to said insulator to mount said insulator and said anode lead entirely within said container, said insulator constituting the sole insulating sealing means between said container and'said anode, and an insulating member surrounding said anode .insulator and connected to said anode shield.

2. In a vapor electric device, an evacuated metal container, an anode, an anode insulator connected in vacuum tight relation to said anode, an anode Vlead connected to said anode, means including a metallic member connected in vacuum tight relation at opposite ends thereof `to said metal container and to said insulator to mount said insulator and said anode lead entirely within said container, said insulator constituting the sole insulating sealing means between said container and said anode, a protecting insulator, and means associated with said metallic member and said anode to mount said protective insulator so as to surround said anode insulator.

3. In a vapor electric device, an evacuated metal container, a cup shaped anode, an anode shield, an anode insulator, an anode lead, an

anode mounting member connected to said anode lead and connected in vacuum tight relation Yto said anode insulator, a metallic member enclosing said anode lead, one end of said metallic but member being connected to said metal `container and the other end thereof being connected in vacuum tight relation to said anode insulator to mount said insulator and said lead entirely within said container, said insulator constituting the sole insulating sealing means between said container and said anode, and a protecting insulator surrounding said anode insulator and connected to said anode shield, said cup shaped anode be- .ing detachably connected to said anode mounting member, the rim of said anode forming a support for said protecting insulator.

4. In a vapor electric device including an evacuated metal container and an anode mounted therein connected to means for conducting current from without said container to said anode, said device including an anode insulator adapted to be mounted vacuum tight between said container and said anode, means to mount said current conducting means and said anode insulator entirely within said container including a tubular metal member extending within said container and enclosing said current conducting said tubular member being connected at one end thereof to said container and at the other end tosaid anode insulator, said insulator constituting the sole insulating sealing means between said container and said anode, and means including an insulator mounted between said anode and said tubular member and surrounding said anode insulator to protect said anode insulator from the arc and glow discharges within said device.

5. In a vapor electric device, an evacuated metal container, an anode mounted therein, an anode lead and an anode insulator connected to said anode, a tubular metal member extending within said container and enclosing said anode lead, said tubular member being connected at one end thereof to said container and at the other end to said insulator, said insulator constituting the sole insulating sealing means between said container and said anode, and means including an insulating iiuid within said tubular member and in contact with said insulator to maintain the outer surface of said insulator at a temperature at which mercury does not condense thereon.

6. In a vapor electric device, an evacuated metal container, an anode mounted therein, an r anode shield, an anode insulator, an anode lead, an anode mounting member connected to said anode insulator and to said anode lead, a metal member extending within said container and connected at its opposite ends respectively to said container and to said anode insulator, said anode insulator constituting the sole insulating sealing means between said container and said anode, a protecting insulator connected to said anode shield and surrounding said anode insulator and the end portion of said metal member connected to said anode insulator, said anode being connected to said anode mounting member and forming a support for said protecting insulator, the joint between said anode and said protecting insulator being gas tight, a layer of conductive material interposed between said anode and said anode mounting member, and means to conduct vapors from said layer to the space within said container outside. said shield including a channel leading between said anode insulator and said protecting insulator from the space occupied by said layer to said container space.

l OSKAR KRINES. 

